Apparatus for looping flexible binding material around packages and the like



Jan. 17, 1961 APPARATUS FOR L'ooPi F W MOSEY EI'AL NG FLEXIBLE BINDINGMATERIAL AROUND PACKAGES AND THE LIKE Filed June 2'7, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 17, 1961 4 F. w. MOSEY ETAL 2,958,234

APPARATUS FOR LOOPING FLEXIBLE BINDING MATERIAL AROUND PACKAGES AND THELIKE Filed June 2'7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Paten APPARATUSFOR LOOPING FLEXIBLE BINDING li llfiERlAL AROUND PACKAGES AND THEFrederick William Mosey, Oswald Victor Langford, and Jack Wild, London,England, assignors to Seal-Less Strapping Limited, London, England, acorporation of Great Britain Filed June 27, 1957, Ser. No. 668,410

Claims priority, application Great Britain July 4, 1956 8 Claims. (Cl.10026) This invention is concerned with mechanism for looping packagesor the like with flexible binding material, and is of the typeessentially comprising a reversible feed, a holding gripper and a guideor guideway to form the material into the required loop around thepackage or the like. The material is projected by the feed from a supplypast the gripper around the interior of the guide and back into thegripper which closes and firmly anchors the end part of the material.The feed is then reversed to contract the looped part of the materialfrom the guide onto the package or the like. Such looping is a usualpreliminary to interconnecting the coextending parts of the materialwith or without additional tensioning thereof and severing of thecontracted loop from the supply, means for which supplementaryoperations may be combined with said looping mechanism.

In mechanism of this type it is desirable for the looped part of thematerial to remain throughout close to the inner face of the guide untilthe gripper is closed, in order to avoid waste of material due to theexcessive projection of the end thereof through the gripper which isliable to take place if said looped part is allowed to sag prematurelyfrom the guide before such closing. It is the object of the presentinvention therefore to ensure retention of said looped part in thisclose proximity with the guide in a simple and effective manner so as toenable the extent of the projection of the material through the gripperto be accurately determined by and in accordance with the operation ofthe feed without interfering with the free passage of the materialaround the guide or making its contraction therefrom more diflicult.

In accordance with the invention, the guide or guideway is thereforeprovided or formed with an exterior plate and an interior plate, shelfor equivalent support spaced sufficiently inwardly of the exterior plateto permit the binding material to be freely directed between them by theforward feeding. This shelf is open towards one side to allow thematerial to be readily drawn laterally therefrom on tensioning it by thereversal of the feed for contracting the loop onto the package. On theother side the shelf may be supported along and within one edge of theguide so as to be closed and the material thereby contained on thatside.

The shelf may be offset with respect to the looping plane, i.e. theplane about which the engagement of the material by the feed and theholding gripper centers, in order to assist such lateral withdrawal ofthe material from the shelf by the centering of the loop into that planeas a first consequence of said tensioning. For this purpose it willgenerally be sufiicient for the open or free edge of the shelf overwhich the material is thus withdrawn to lie approximately in saidlooping plane so that the shelf extends away therefrom.

If the Width of the guide includes the looping plane in the usualmanner, it follows that a shelf which is thus oflset will project onlypart way across said guide from 2,968,234 Patented Jan. 17, 1961 itssupporting edge, in which case the guide may be inwardly flanged alongits opposite edge, leaving a gap with sufficient clearance between thisflange and said free edge of the shelf for the subsequent contraction ofthe loop through said gap.

At the entrance to the guide a suitable deflector means may be providedfor directing the advancing end of the binding material to that part ofthe width of the guide to which the shelf is offset, so that said endcontinues along said shelf instead of in the looping plane, withprovision of means at the exit from the guide for directing said endback into said plane for engagement by the holding gripper. Also, ifnecessary for retaining the material on the shelf, one or more catchesmay be provided along the length of the guide adapted to contain thematerial on the open side of the shelf. Both said deflector and saidcatches must naturally be such as to permit the required lateralwithdrawal of the material from the shelf and may for this purpose bemade resilient so that the material can readily thrust them aside.

They can for instance take the form of leaf springs anchored at one endto the guide and extending resiliently towards the shelf slantwise andpreferably trailing in the direction towards which the material isprojected.

The invention will now be further described by way of example withreference to the accompanying drawings, showing a mechanism inaccordance therewith for looping flexible strip in the banding ofpackages or the like, in conjunction with just those parts of theassociated banding machine (as set forth in copending application SerialNo. 680,164, filed August 26, 1957, now Patent N0.-2,925,698, having aconvention filing date of August 31, 1956 based upon application No.26,627/56 filed in Great Britain on that date) as are necessary for aproper understanding of the present invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows, in side elevation, the looping guide of the mechanism inposition above the table or platform of the machine with indications ofthe reversible feed of the latter and the holding gripper (which mayform part of its jointing unit) which are essentially concerned in thelooping operation;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of said table or platform and the adjacententrance to and exit from the guide, looking in the direction of arrow 2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary perspective view of the entrance to theguide, the arrow 3, shown also in Fig. 1, indicating the view point;

Fig. 4 is a section of the guide along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5A and 5B are identical sections of the guide along the line 5-5of Fig. 1, showing the position of the flexible strip S duringprojection and when withdrawn from the shelf ready for contraction ofthe loop, respectively; and

fig. 6 is a detail view in the direction of arrow 6 of Fig. l to showone of the strip retaining catches.

In this constructional form the guide or guideway, denoted generally by10, has an inwardly facing channel approximately twice the width of theflexible strip, with the shelf or interior guide plate 11 extendinghalf-way across this channel and up to the looping plane, which is to beunderstood as here covering the width of the strip when in position inthe other open half of the channel ready to be contracted onto thepackage (i.e. as shown in Fig. 5B). This channel is defined by two sideparts, a connecting side portion 12 and side flange portion 13,extending along the edges of the inner face of the main guide member orexterior guide plate 14. Shelf or interior plate 11 is mounted onportion 12 and extends laterally therefrom leaving clearance for thefree passage of the flexible strip beneath it.

The guide is erected and secured above the table 15 of the associatedmachine between pairs of flanged panels 16 and 17 at the respective endsof the guide, in such a way that the open half of the guide channel liesin the looping plane as aforesaid, which plane also contains thereversible feed roller 18 and the holding gripper 19 of the machine.

The feeding of the flexible strip from a supply is effected by forwardrotation of the roller 18 (with which said strip is held in frictionalengagement by the manually liftable pressure roller frame 18a) wherebythe free end part of the strip, which passes from the feed through achannel a of the table and is then threaded through an eye 19a of thegripper, is directed (whilst said gripper remains lowered and open)along another channel 15b of the table, beyond the gripper, into andaround the guide, back into the channel 15a over the part of the stripalready within it and so into the gripper, which is thereupon closedonto said end part to anchor it.

This closing of the gripper which is effeced by upward movement thereoftakes place after the feed has been stopped and said end part has beenpermitted to extend sufliciently beyond the gripper for a connection tobe made between it and the underlying strip by means of the jointing andsevering unit indicated at 20, of which said gripper forms part butwhich it is unnecessary to describe here in detail, since the presentinvention is esseniially concerned only with the looping of the strip.

After the gripper has closed, roller 18 is rotated rearwardly to drawstrip back through the eye 19a and channel 15a into the supply andconsequenty to contract the anchored loop from the guide onto thepackage and even if desired to put a certain initial tension on it.

Other constructional features and details will be referred to in thecourse of the following further description of a looping operationstarting with a free end of strip left projecting from the eye 19a.Within this eye and also in the channel 15a leading up to it, the stripis closely contained laterally in order to keep it accurately placed inthe looping plane. Beyond the jointing unit however it enters the doublewidth channel 15b, of which the guide channel forms a continuation andconsequently there becomes progressively freer for lateral deflectionfrom that plane the further it gets from the jointing unit, althoughalways within the comparatively narrow limits which can never beexceeded in manipulating strip edgewise in this sense.

At the entrance to the guide (as shown in Fig. 3 with the near panel 16removed) the strip end is directed under the shelf 11 by the leaf springdeflector 21 mounted on the inner face of side flange portion 13, whichdeflector will be seen is adapted to trail in the direction of movementof the strip. Similarly mounted on the inner face of side portion 12opposite this deflector is an auxiliary guide piece 22 to ensure thatthe strip is thus directed down beneath the leading or free edge 11:: ofthe shef. The strip end then continues between the shelf right round tothe exist from the guide, past the intermediate retaining catch 23 andanother such catch 24 adjacent said exit, both of which are similar todeflector 21. On leaving the guide, the strip end enters channel 15a andis directed back into the looping plane by the flared wall 150 of themouth of said channel; and, in order to ensure that at this stage thestrip end also becomes directed into position for engagement by gripper19, instead of through the eye 19a, the channel is formed with ahorizontal dividing wall 15d above which said end passes at the requiredhigher level for this purpose.

it is thus clear that the overlapping parts of the strip are bothpositioned and held by channel 15a in the looping plane in spite of thedeflection of the looped part of the strip out of said plane duringprojection thereof. After closing of the gripper 19, the reversal of thefeed first serves to center this looped part also into said plane andthereby cause its withdrawal from the shelf laterally against theresistance of deflector 21 and the catches 4 23 and 24 which are thrustaside by the consequent ten- SlOIl.

The shelf 11 is preferably continuous throughout the length of theguide, although, as it is the inner face of the latter by which the endof the strip is actually constrained, more or less considerable gaps inthe shelf are possible without thereby adversely afleeting its abilityto prevent inward sagging of the loop.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for looping packages with a flexible material, alooping guideway open toward one side and defining a shelf sufficientlywide to receive and independently support said flexible material whilepermitting free movement of said material toward said open side, meansadjacent said open side at one end of said looping guideway for urgingsaid material into said shelf and away from the open side of saidguideway, a reversible feed means for feeding material into saidguideway and adapted to apply tension to said material after it has beenfed onto said guideway, and means for positioning said material in aplane removed from said shelf and adjacent said open side before itenters and after it leaves said guideway, said deflector means adaptedto permit the lateral movement of said material out of said shelf towardthe open side of said guideway and into the plane of said positioningmeans when said material is placed under tension whereby said materialis released from said guideway.

2. In an apparatus for looping packages with a flexible material, alooping guideway one portion of which is open toward the interior of theloop and a second portion of which lies laterally adjacent to said oneportion and is open toward said first portion to define a shelf of awidth at least equal to the width of said flexible material, areversible feed means for feeding material into said guideway andadapted to apply a tension to said material after it has been fed ontosaid guideway, means aligned with said one portion for positioning saidmaterial in the plane of said first portion before it enters and afterit leaves said guideway, and deflector means for urging said materialout of said plane into said second portion of said guideway and adaptedto permit the lateral movement of said material into said first portionwhen said material is placed under tension, whereby said material isreleased from said guideway.

3. An apparatus for looping packages with a flexible material comprisinga looping guideway, a reversible feed means for feeding material intosaid guideway and adapted to apply a tension to said material after ithas been fed onto said guideway, positioning means for maintaining thematerial in the looping plane before it enters and after it leaves saidguideway, gripping means for gripping a portion of the material adjacentthe end thereof after the material has been fed onto said guideway andprior to and during the application of tension to the material by saidfeed means, said guideway comprising a first portion disposed in thelooping plane and open toward the interior of the loop, a second portionexterior of the looping plane and connected to and open toward saidfirst portion, and resilient means for urging the material out of thelooping plane into said guideway second portion and adapted to permitthe lateral movement of the material into said first portion when saidmaterial is placed under tension, whereby the material is released fromsaid guideway.

4. An apparatus for looping packages with elongate flexible materialcomprising a looping guideway having an inwardly disposed shelf portionopen laterally toward one side and sufliciently wide to receive andindependently support said flexible material while permitting freelateral movement of said material toward said open side, reversible feedmeans operable in one direction for longitudinally feeding the materialtoward one end of said shelf portion from a position disposed to saidone side thereof and operable in the opposite direction for applying atension to said material, means adjacent the opposite end of said shelfportion for deflecting the material therefrom to said one side, andgripping means on said one side for gripping a portion of the materialafter the latter has been deflected to said one side of said shelfportion, whereby said feed means may apply tension thereto.

5. An apparatus for looping packages with elongate flexible materialcomprising a guideway having an inwardly disposed looping shelf portiondefining a guide plane, said shelf portion being laterally open towardone side of said guide p'ane and being sufliciently wide to receive andindependently support said flexible material while permitting freelateral movement of said material toward said open side, reversible feedmeans operable in one direction for longitudinally feeding the materialtoward one end of said shelf portion from a position disposed to saidone side of said plane and operable in the opposite direction forapplying tension to said material, means adjacent the opposite end ofsaid shelf portion for deflecting the material from said shelf portionto said one side of said plane, and gripping means on said one side forgripping a portion of the material after the latter has been deflectedfrom said shelf portion, whereby tension may be applied thereto.

6. An apparatus for looping packages with elongate flexible materialcomprising a guideway having an inwardly disposed looping shelf portionopen laterally toward one side, reversible feed means operable in onedirection for longitudinally feeding the material toward a point to saidone side of and out of the plane of said shelf portion and operable inthe opposite direction for applying a tension to said material, meansadjacent said one side of said shelf portion for deflecting the materialinto said shelf portion and adapted to permit the lateral movement ofthe material toward said one side and out of said shelf portion when thematerial is placed under tension, means adjacent the opposite end ofsaid shelf portion for deflecting the material therefrom to said oneside, and gripping means on said one side for gripping a portion of thematerial after the latter has been deflected to said one side of saidshelf portion, whereby tension may be applied thereto.

7. An apparatus for looping packages with elongate flexible materialcomprising a guideway having a looping shelf portion open toward oneside, a first guide means for guiding said material along a path on saidone side of said shelf portion and substantially parallel to the planeof said shelf portion, reversible feed means for longitudinally feedingsaid material into said first guide means and adapted to apply tensionto said material after it has been looped, second guide meansintermediate said first guide means and one end of said shelf portionfor resiliently deflecting said material away from said path into saidshelf portion, said second guide means being adapted to permit thelateral movement of the material toward said one side and out of saidshelf portion when the material is placed under tension, third guidemeans for deflecting the material to said one side from said shelfportion and into superposed relationship With respect to the material insaid first guide means, and gripping means for gripping a portion of thematerial after the material has been deflected by said third guide meansand prior to and during the application of tension to the material bysaid feed means, said elongate flexible material being removed from saidshelf portion by the application of tension and disposed in a plane tosaid one side thereof.

8. An apparatus for looping packages with elongate flexible materialcomprising a guideway having a looping shelf portion open laterallytoward one side, reversible feed means disposed on said one side of saidshelf portion for feeding said material into said shelf portion andadapted to apply a tension to said material after it has been looped,deflecting means for resiliently urging the material from said one sideinto said shelf portion, positioning means for maintaining the materialon one side of said guideway before it enters said shelf portion and fordeflecting said material to said one side as it leaves said guideway,and gripping means disposed on said one side of said guideway forgripping a portion of the material adjacent the end thereof after theend of said material has been fed onto said shelf portion and deflectedto said one side and prior to and during the application of tension tothe material by said feed means, said deflecting means being adapted topermit the lateral movement of the material toward said one side and outof said shelf portion when said material is placed under tension,whereby the material is released from said guideway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,409,652 Workman Oct. 22, 1946 2,730,036 Chessman J an. 10, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS 470,138 Germany Jan. 9, 1929

